Jazz/blues singer Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker born into a musical family. Her father, Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer and bandleader and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother Carline Ray was a pioneering multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who performed with the all-female swing orchestra “The International Sweethearts of Rhythm in the 1940s, pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams and arranger/orchestra leader Sy Oliver, among many others. Ms. Ray was a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and The Manhattan School of Music.

After graduating from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Catherine began recording and touring as a back-up singer. She’s worked with many artists including David Bowie, Jackson Browne, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, John Pizzarelli, and Steely Dan with whom she still works.
As a solo artist, Catherine has released eight albums. Two of her albums, “Harlem On My Mind” and “Alone Together” earned Grammy nominations for Best Vocal Jazz Album.
Catherine has taught at Berklee College of Music and the New School, and also maintains a busy touring schedule in the US and Europe.